Cable equalizer



y 14, 1935 v T. J. WILSON 2,001,007

CABLE EQUALI ZER Filed June 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 42 l Ly 5 WWWZSMMZM/fi aY W862 ATTORNEY Way 14, 1935. 11 WILSON ZOOLUQ? CABLE EQUALIZER Filed June 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 14, 1935 Q v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i 2,001,007 0 V CABLE; EQUALIZER Thomas J. Wilson, Pittsburgh, Pa Application June 2, 1934, Serial No. 728,767

a y p is Claims. (01.187-1) The invention relates to a cable equalizerand moreespecially to elevator cable equalizers.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character wherein the same, when installedwith elevator equipment, wi1l equalize the. tension. of the lifting cables of the traction type of elevators, such equalization beingimportant' or a factor in the length of service ofthe cables and also preventing .excessivewear of sheave grooves.v f 7 Another object ofthe invention is the provision of a deviceofthis character, wherein stufiing, boxes .are entirely; eliminated, there. "being one point of possible leakage, .namely,, the cup packing of each piston, thelifting' bolts of the :device being either square or" elliptical in shape,

these fitting intov similarly desig ed uid hole of cylinder blockto prevent twisting of the equalizer bars and -thus'throwing, them out of alignment, and, additionally, the load. is not sustainedon the 'equalizingdevice. but rather the entire load ,is suspended from r thefshacklc or lifting bolts there being a' minimum number: of

moving parts in the device.

l A further object of the invention is. the provision of a device of this character, whereinit involves a combinationof leverage and hydraulic principles, the sensitiveness of the device being to compensate instantaneously any unequal stretch in cables, therefore, the movement of any piston will be so slight as to render wear on the parts practically nil, the device being adapted to prevent bobbing or teetering of the lift body when descent or ascent isinterrupted.

A still further object of the invention, is the provision of a device of this character which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in its purpose, strong, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture and install. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claimshereunto appended. I

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the device con structed in accordance with the invention, the same being partly in section.

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof, the same being partly broken away.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, the same being partly broken away; 7 V

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the lined-44 of Figure 1 looking in the directionof the arrows.

7 other, constitutes an equalizing suspension device for elevators and consists of .a. casing l0 having formed therewith a plurality of piston cylinders ll, these being preferably arranged in spaced parallel rows longitudinally of said casing and open through the top thereof, the cylinders being equally spaced from each other, in

the plurality. Operating within the cylinders l l are pistons l'atheir stems l3 beingextended upwardly through guide bushings l4 removably threaded inthe upper open ends of 7 said cylinders. The cylinders l Lat their bottoms l 5, have the. ports it common to a liquid way ll, there being the required number of ways corresponding to the rows of cylinders and intercommunicative through a passage 58, one of the ways I'l being connected with a liquid-reservoir 9 for the delivery of the liquid 28. .Thereservoir has fitted therewith a hand operated cut-off valve 2i and a check valve 22, these valves being arranged or located as shown ,in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawings. The passage It opens through one side of the casing I0 and is closed by .a removable plug 23, so that the said passage and ways H can be drained, as the occasion may require.

Passed through the casing iii are the lifting bolts 24, these being secured to a sub-base 25 through the medium of nuts 26, and the upper ends of these bolts are formed with forked heads 2? carrying pivots 28 for the equalizer levers 29, thesebeing received in the heads 2?, while the outer long end portions of said levers, through the medium of the pivots 29', are con-. nected with the-bifurcated upper ends 3!] of the stems E3 of the pistons [21 and the inner shorter ends of said levers by the pivots iii are connected through the medium of the couplings 32 with the lifting cables 33 for the elevator (not shown). a

Any additional or replenishing of liquid to the reservoir is is had through the medium of a plunger type hand pump (not shown) and separate from the device.

As has been stated, the purpose of the device is to equalize the tension of the lifting cables all) 32, the compensation or equalization being had through the medium of the pistons I2 coacting with the liquid H in the cylinders l l. When the load is unequally distributed in one or more of the lifting cables, the compensating pistons l2 will be compressed, thus exerting a downward pressure on the body of liquid N. This additional pressure imparts an upward movement to the one or more compensating pistons l2.

This upward movement of the pistons causes a counter movement to the equalizer levers 29 which pulls the slacker cable or cables taut.

'In the event of sudden loss of pressure, the equalizer levers 29 will, at their outer ends, be lowered against the top of the casing I9 and the load will be sustained by the lifting bolts 24 which are designed for such an emergency.

What is claimed is:

1. An equalizer of the character described comprising a casing forming a plurality of piston cylinders arranged in rows, pistons working in said cylinders, said casing having fluid passages common to the cylinders, means for supplying fluid to said passages to maintain a determined content therein, lifting means passed through the casing and fixed with respect thereto, equalizer levers pivotally supported in said lifting means and having connection with the pistons, and lifting cables having connection with said levers.

2. An equalizer of the character described comprising a casing forming a plurality of piston cylinders arranged in rows, pistons working in said cylinders, said casing having fluid passages common to the cylinders, means for supplying fluid to said passages to maintain a determined content therein, lifting means passed through the casing and fixed with respect thereto, equalizer levers pivotally supported in said lifting means and having connection with the pistons, lifting cables having connection with said levers, and a fluid reservoir included in said fluid supply means.

3. An equalizer of the character described comprising a plurality of piston cylinders, pistons Working within said cylinders, means for supplying liquid to the cylinders and maintained at a determined content thereof, lifting bolts related to the cylinders, equalizer levers pivotally supported by said bolts and having connection with the pistons at one side of the bolts, and lifting cables connected with said levers at the opposite side of the bolts.

4. An equalizer of the character described comprising a plurality of piston cylinders, pistons working within said cylinders, means for supplying liquid to the cylinders and maintained at a determined content thereof, lifting bolts related to the cylinders, equalizer levers pivotally supported by said bolts and having connection with the pistons at one side of the bolts, lifting cables connected with said levers at the opposite side of the bolts, and a casing having the piston cylinders built therein and forming a receptacle for said liquid.

5. An equalizer of the character described comprising a plurality of piston cylinders, pistons working within said cylinders, means for supplying liquid to the cylinders and maintained at a determined content thereof, lifting bolts related to the cylinders, equalizer levers pivotally supported by said bolts and having connection with the pistons at one side of the bolts, lifting cables connected with said levers at the opposite side of the bolts, a casing having the piston cylinders built therein and forming a receptacle for said liquid, and means for drawing off the liquid within the receptacle.

6. An equalizer of the character described comprising a plurality of piston cylinders, pistons working within said cylinders, means for supplying liquid to the cylinders and maintained 9 at a determined content thereof, lifting bolts related to the cylinders, equalizer levers pivotally supported by said boltsand having connection with the pistons at one side of the bolts, lifting cables connected with said levers at the opposite side of the bolts, a casing having the piston cylinders built therein and forming a receptacle for said liquid, means for drawing 01f the liquid within the receptacle, and means for replenishing the supply of liquid within the receptacle.

THOMAS J. WILSON. 

